Tag Archives: cleaning with arthritis

Spring cleaning often brings to attention those small repairs that you’ve been meaning to get around to. Stuck drawers, clogged drains, torn window screens – small household repairs can be an ordeal if you have painful hands from arthritis and a shortage of tools. But they don’t have to be. Nancy Ryan, an occupational therapist in New York City, suggests these simple shortcuts for doing common jobs with less pain and effort and with items you probably have on hand.

You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on remodeling improvements. There are steps you can take to make your home safe and protect your joints.

“The goal is to use adaptations to preserve your ability to perform and participate in activities of daily living,” says Scott Trudeau, PhD, OTR/L, productive aging program manager at the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Here are six tips to help you prep your abode for life with arthritis.

Follow the old saying, “bend with your knees, not your back.” Slightly flex knees, and keep a hollow in your back.• When standing, minimize back pressure by placing one foot on an elevated surface, such as a stepstool or bottom shelf.• When unloading, use a “golfer’s lift.” Simply kick back the leg opposite your extended arm.• Kneel or get help for floor-level or awkward tasks.